article

Smarten Up: Tips to Appear Cool and Cultured: Lesson One – Mi Vino Es Su Vino

Tuesday Jan 13, 2009 – By Jennifer Valentine

Wine culture has broadened in the last few years welcoming an array of diverse, inquisitive sommeliers. What used to seem like a daunting task of choosing and pairing wine is now easy and enjoyable. You don’t just have to drink reds with red meat or whites with chicken and fish; anything goes! Not only is drinking wine sparingly good for your health, but drinking and learning about it can be fun, tasty and impressive. Ladies, ease off the fruity drinks and fellas trade in the hard mixers for a glass of vino!

Great wine for beginner taste buds, under $10:
Whites: White wines cover a wide range of colors and taste, from dry and semi-sweet to sweet. Best served chilled, popular whites are: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Try, Little Penguin Pinot Grigio.

Rosé [Ro-zay]/Blush: These rosy colored wines are actually white wines. They should have a delicate and refreshing taste rather than be too sweet. Try, Beringer White Zinfandel.

Red: Red wines are classified by “body type.” Light-bodied will have fewer tannins (a wine’s pucker power) while medium and full-bodied will have more. Some popular medium-bodied reds are: Merlot, Shiraz and Chianti. These reds tend to be less dry and more sweet. Store red wine at room temperature. Try, Yellow Tail Pinot Noir.

Have a favorite wine? Make sure to share it with fellow Clutch readers!

Alisha says:

January 13, 2009 at 4:37 pm

My favorite wine is Riesling! It’s sweet, but dry. Thanks for this post. I need to be more cultured when it comes to wine.

↑ Reply

Camille Greene says:

January 13, 2009 at 7:55 pm

Zinfy is my FAV!! You’re right that you gotta experiment with wine to actually like it especially with red wines. I used to hate it all but now wine is my drink of choice.

veronica says:

January 14, 2009 at 2:12 pm

in NYC there are tons of wine stores that offer free samplings. i sometimes drop in after work on the way home. :)

January 14, 2009 at 2:13 pm

oh and i love pinot grigio!

Stacye says:

January 14, 2009 at 2:58 pm

I like Riesling too! I did have a lacrema Pinot Noir and it was pleasent. This was a great post. Very informative

greg says:

January 14, 2009 at 11:39 pm

i enjoyed these tips! i always been iffy about red wine cuz i never thought it was sweet enough & didnt like the taste. thanks for the Reisling tip Alisha…..

kim h20s says:

March 16, 2009 at 10:56 am

if you like the sweeter reislings try these:

chateau st. michelle

kendall-jackson

clean slate

looisen brothers

they are all within the $10-$15 dollar range.